Busy busy busy

Sorry for the lack of updates but, as you can see from the blog title, we are very busy. Why? Because the boys are coming home on Monday!!!!!

Both will be on oxygen with Charlie on a bit more than Lex. The oxygen nurse explained that the boys both have scars on their lungs from being born so early and having to go on ventilators. This means they get less oxygen each breath than an average baby of their size. This then affects their growth. The additional oxygen just means they grow properly.

Over the next few months their body will replace the cells in their lungs, the scars will go and eventually they won't need additional oxygen any more.

Hopefully with lex it'll only be a month or so but Charlie could take six months or more to grow new lungs. Apparently if they get colds or chest infections it could set them back. The nurse said if Charlie gets a lot of colds it could be next spring!

So we have quite draconian rules about what we can and can't do. No crowds, no kids (except in the open air and lergy free), no flying (like we would!), no naked flames...

So if you do want to visit us please make extra sure you are bug free and don't be upset if you want to bring kids and we suggest we meet in a park. Also do get in touch first as we might be sleeping!

Anyway so as well as getting oxygen canisters and a condenser fitted to the house we've had lots of other things to do - clothes to sort, bouncers to build, mattresses to buy, bank accounts to open - yes the kids now have their own baby saver accounts.

The babies are all fine by the way - as cute as ever. The boys had their first bath this week (hopefully the longest they will go without a bath in their lives) which lex loved and Charlie hated. Lex has taken up both smiling and screaming. Charlie now loves taking his bottles. Beth is an angel during the day and Princess Grumpy at night.

Attached are pics of the boys in their cot, Beth as a ballerina and lex after his bath.

Is that light at the end of that tunnel?

Charlie, Beth and Lex

Big news this week they are talking about sending the boys home! Both are doing really well. Lex is ready to go home - taking his bottles and stable on oxygen (although they are trying to wean him off). Charlie isn't quite there yet as he doesn't take all his food by bottle (although he just had a whole bottle with me) but he's very close.

Charlie and Lex

Looks like the plan is that they will come home with Charlie definitely on oxygen and hopefully Lex not on it. Charlie could, apparently, be on oxygen for 6 months or so - or the nurse said maybe next spring if he gets a lot of colds. So if we seem paranoid about your health when you visit hopefully you can understand why.

They are having their oxygen levels checked again Sunday night and a referral has gone off to the company that fit the oxygen - we're going to have tubing all over the house.

Of course this is all irrelevant so long as we get those boys home.



Cuddles for everyone!

Aunty Julie and Mummy tandom feeding

It's been a different sort of a week. It started with not being able to see Charlie and Lex as they were in isolation. This was quite weird and not very pleasant. We got caught up with our washing but it really wasn't worth it.

The Godfather - Gareth - with Beth

Meanwhile lots of people came to see Beth (photo evidence littering this post) and to have cuddles. She enjoyed all the attention.

Aunty Bex and Beth

Aunty Peggy with Beth

After a few days the boys were released from isolation, as they showed no sign of flu, and put into room 6 (intensive care). This meant that we could visit them but not with Beth. So one of us had to sit in the family room while the other one went to see the boys. It was a right faff.

 

 

 

Aunty Jo with Beth (note the lovely quilt in the background)

The week picked up when Granny Cunnington got the all clear to visit. It was great to see her and the babies loved Granny cuddles, although Beth was distracted by a lovely New Zealand quilt.

Granny Cunnington FINALLY gets cuddles

Finally the boys were moved back into cots and back into Special Care. Hurrah! Now we can visit with Beth and pick them up at will. They have both started feeding on demand - another step closer to the door. Now it's just that whole oxygen thing then Hotel Chaos will be opening on Main Avenue. Insanely we can't wait.

Erin and Beth

Today the babies all had their weigh in. They are all huge! Well the boys anyway.

Below are baby pics and weights.

Lex is 6 pound 11 (and a bit ginger)

Charlie is 5 pound 11

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beth is now 5 pound

We're in for the whole ride

So you remember that roller coaster ride people warned us about when we knew our babies would be in special care? we've experienced that this week.



Beth and Daddy discover a new normal

The brilliant bit was that Beth was allowed home! She's settled in great and looking after her is mostly (except around 3am) great fun. Having her home just makes me so keen to have the boys home too so we can get on with our new family life.

Unfortunately they think the boys have got flu and they've been moved into isolation (room 5 on the unit that takes only 1 or in this case 2 babies). We were advised not to visit as we'd be risking passing it onto Beth. We were told they'd get test results today to confirm if it is flu.



Lex

By 2pm they'd had no results so I headed in to at least look at them through the glass. As it was I could go into the room but just not touch anything. Also there was no one wearing hazmat suits which was quite disappointing.

Anyway the boys are quite snuffly as they have been for at least a week. Their oxygen needs haven't gone up and they don't have fevers.

I'm not a doctor but it doesn't seem like flu to me. Anyway now it looks like we will find out by Wednesday at the latest.



Charlie

So it's lovely being at home with Beth, catching up with our washing and eating meals with vegetables included but I feel something (two things) are missing. Here's hoping the test results just show a cold.


Best birthday ever!

Lex, Beth, Charlie

Lex, Beth, Charlie and Mummy

Lex, Beth, Charlie and Daddy



Lex, Beth, Charlie, Mummy and Daddy. The Cunnington Family.

Home?

To be released into the wild a premature baby needs to be able to maintain their temperature, feed without a tube, breathe either in air or in a stable amount of oxygen and be gaining weight.

Beth is missing something...

Charlie and Lex pass all of the above except feeding without a tube (they are getting better at bottles and still faffing with breastfeeding) and are having tests to find the right level of oxygen for them to come home on. So both are a few weeks from home.

Beth on the other hand passes all these tests except last weigh in she'd lost 20 grams. I requested a recount and the next day she weighed in 40 grams up. We've been told if she's gained enough on Thursday we can take her home.... She needs to gain 40-60 grams by Thursday.



Lex and Charlie

Argh! Fingers and everything are very crossed. We will keep you updated.

In the meanwhile what's new about this picture of Beth? Plus I went to see the boys about 3am one day, they were both crying and soothing each other by patting hands. It was super cute. The picture below isn't from then but captures a similar moment.


What's this outside place?

Beth outside

Today was a very exciting day as we got to take Beth out for a walk. They kept the boys in as hostages so we would bring her back.

The buggy we had bought was not suitable for her (she's too tiny) so the hospital leant us their silver cross pram. We caused a bit of a stir around the park.

Beth was rather unimpressed but I have really missed the outside. Two months spent in hospital during daylight hours will do that.



Daddy and Beth outside

From now on its 'operation bottle' as one thing that babies need to be able to do before they come home is eat without needing a feeding tube - which can be by mummy milk or bottle but for both they need to be awake and premature babies are very sleepy. Except at 3am when all premature babies around the world wake to howl at the moon.



Beth was not as excited as us

So Matt and I are spending the next few days getting the babies used to bottles and hoping they carry on waking up to feed. So far Beth and Charlie have taken to bottles really well. Lex is unimpressed. He seems to prefer just lying there and being fed by tube. Hopefully he will take to it as all three need to be able to breastfeed and take a bottle in order for their mummy and daddy to have time in between feeds to do everything else - wash, sleep, wash clothes, clean, sleep - did I say sleep? At the moment we're on about 3-4 hours a night on a good night and my brain has gone on holiday somewhere.

It feels like we are SOooooo close now to getting them home. Weeks rather than months, days maybe for Beth. It's both exciting and a little bit scary. I was cuddling Beth today and thinking 'it's crazy but I think they are going to let me take her home!'



Freedom!